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A lunch-time look at Wednesday night's City Islanders-Dayton scrap at Skyline Sports Complex

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Goalkeeper Nick Noble, shown prior to a game earlier this season, knows he and his Harrisburg City Islanders teammates will be in for a tough scrap Wednesday night when the Dayton Dutch Lions visit Skyline Sports Complex.
(Jessica Tezak, PennLive.com)

As the
Harrisburg City Islanders prepare to make one appearance at Skyline Sports
Complex before returning to the USL PRO road, they know Wednesday night's scrap
isn't going to be one of those games where collaring three points is done easily
and without much resistance.

Maybe two
years ago that may have been the case.

And
similar thoughts still may have been prevalent last season as Bill Becher's
City Islanders finished up their pre-game prep work and finalized the game
plan.

Well,
that's not the case this time around. Not against this tested group of Dayton
Dutch Lions (9-6-7 overall, 7-5-7 in USL PRO), who harbor legitimate playoff
hopes for the first time since joining the league in 2011.

"Dayton
has done very well," Becher said. "They've won games by defending and winning
1-0, and they've won games in shootouts. So, they seem to be pretty good on
both sides of the ball and they seem to be able to play whatever style the game
fits.

"We know we're in for a tough game."

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

"It's a
team we haven't played yet this year, but we know they're doing well," goalkeeper
Nick Noble added. "They gave us a hard time last year — especially on the road.

Seventh-place
Dayton is one of those teams jostling for postseason position. And Patrick
Bal's club has maintained playoff hopes despite its own recent struggles.

Dayton, which
will close out a three-game road trip Wednesday at Skyline, is winless (0-3-2)
in its last five.

Regardless,
Becher remains wary.

"They're
always going to work, but it seems like they've gotten better every year,"
Becher said. "The first year [2011] was a bit of a struggle for them, but they
did work hard.

"Last
year they were much better and you just look at their record this year —
they're right in the middle of things — so they're going to make things
complicated for us."

Yet while
both sides are coming off back-to-back outings on the road, the City Islanders
will have a brief respite following Wednesday's scrap and will not play again
until next they meet up with Phoenix next Wednesday night.

Should
the City Islanders tumble Wednesday night, they could see Charlotte or Los
Angeles zip past them in the USL PRO standings. Both sides play again later in
the week, as will a Charleston club that hosts Phoenix and LA.

Dayton,
which could catch the City Islanders with a pair of victories, will play Friday
at home against Antigua.

* Sainey Touray (hamstring), who
missed both of the Florida scraps, could dress and play Wednesday night against
Dayton. Defender Greg Jordan (knee), out since the June 8 loss to the Colorado
Rapids Reserves, will not play. Midfielder/defender Tom Brandt (hamstring) and
defender Damani Richards (abdominal surgery) returned to practice last week,
but may need more time to regain sharpness.

* Mkosana, who connected in both
Florida outings, will carry a two-game goal-scoring streak into Wednesday's
contest.

* In addition to Touray, Ekra,
Hernandez, Langley and Mkosana, Jimmy McLaughlin (4g, 0a) and Aaron Wheeler
(2g, 1a) are the others with multiple finishes for a Harrisburg team that's had
13 players locate the back of the net. Only Orlando (45) and Los Angeles (43) have
pocketed more scores than Becher's City Islanders (40). League-leading Richmond
also has scored 40 times.

Jimmy McLaughlin, shown here, netted his fourth goal of the season on Friday night in the Harrisburg City Islanders' 2-0 win at Tampa Bay.Patriot-News file

* Since Major League Soccer's Philadelphia
Union is not expected to provide any additional bodies on loan, recently signed
Antonio Bua and Kenny Caceros may be called on by the City Islanders coaching
staff. Caceros started the Orlando loss — even was assessed a caution — before
giving way in the second half. He also played in Friday night's victory. Bua
saw action off the bench in both games.

* With a clean sheet Friday night, Noble
pocketed his 13th shutout in a Harrisburg uniform,
tying him with Chase Harrison for the franchise's all-time lead in that
category. Noble (11-8-1, 1.450 GAA, 81 saves), who posted a season-high nine
saves in Friday's win at Tampa Bay, has five shutouts this season.

* The City Islanders are just 5-5-1
at their Skyline Sports Complex playpen and have lost their last two home
games. No other USL PRO club has lost that much at home.

* The City Islanders have met
Dayton four times at Skyline Sports Complex, winning twice and drawing twice.
Overall against the Dutch Lions, Becher's club owns a 3-1-2 mark. Harrisburg
will make its only visit to western Ohio on Aug. 17, the final night of the
regular season.

SOME DAYTON NOTES AND NUMBERS

* Trying to reach the USL PRO
playoffs for the first time since joining the league prior to the 2011 season,
Dayton (9-6-7 overall, 7-5-7 in USL PRO) will be trying to climb out of seventh
place — the top eight finishers advance to the playoffs — with a victory
Wednesday night at Skyline.

* Although the Dutch Lions have
played nearly .500 ball on the USL PRO road (2-3-3), Patrick Bal's club has
netted just five goals away from home while conceding 10. Set to close out a
three-game road trip Wednesday night, Dayton is 0-1-1 thus far after falling
1-0 at Charleston on Friday and playing Charlotte to a scoreless draw on
Saturday.

Brandon Swartzendruber celebrates a late finish during his 2009 stint with the Harrisburg City Islanders. He's now playing for the Dayton Dutch Lions, who visit Skyline Sports Complex on Wednesday night.Patriot-News file

* City Islanders fans also will
recognize industrious midfielder/defender Shintaro Harada, who signed on with
Dayton prior to the 2013 season following lengthy stints with Crystal Palace
Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. In 18 outings, Harada has posted
three points (1g, 1a).

* Since he's started 19 times
already, Matt Williams (7-5-7, 1.578 GAA, 82 saves) will be the likely choice
in goal for Bal's Dutch Lions. Williams made five stops in Saturday's scoreless
draw at Charlotte, posting his fourth shutout.